Weekly

“Georg Oddner learned his craft under one of the world’s greatest photographers: Richard Avedon. However, what he accomplished was entirely his own and he had a magnificent career with an unbelievable ability to come close whatever subject: He managed to capture the individual, or spirit, with all roles stripped away – just like in these pictures! Oddner had plenty of strings to his bow. Later this autumn, CFHILL will be showing a selection from his series of incredibly beautiful still lifes.”

— Anna-Karin Pusic

Weekly is our own report on what art works are in our minds at the moment.If you're interested in any of the works, please let us know!

Georg OddnerAnita Ekberg, actress1955

“This was taken just before she became a star. She was already a hot topic in Hollywood celebrity gossip because of her love life and her partying lifestyle. She grew up in Malmö, and had been awarded first prize in the Miss Sweden contest just a few years earlier. After Oddner took this soothing picture, which hints at her rather singular mindset and immense personal integrity, it all happened very quickly. First, she starred in War and Peace (1955), and then in the evergreen La Dolce Vita (1960) by Federico Fellini, where she took a dip in Rome’s Fontana di Trevi. She never received a role in a Swedish film. Maybe this was because she had such a strong Skåne accent?”

Georg OddnerHarriet Andersson, actress1955

“When this was taken, she had already been discovered by Ingmar Bergman, who had given her roles in the theatre. Her big breakthrough, of course, would come with the iconic film Summer with Monika (1953), in which she played a very young woman who’s enjoying a summer romance, at least until she becomes pregnant. This might be where Sweden first acquired its reputation for vivacious women and melancholy sensuality. Here, Oddner captures her in an entirely different mood: Thoughtful, and incredibly girly, almost childlike.”

Georg OddnerMax von Sydow, actor1960

“Those eyes! Max von Sydow’s pale blue, mysterious eyes still appear in movies from time to time. His amazing career is actually unparalleled. In 1960, when Oddner took this picture (he took many others of von Sydow over the years), he was in the middle of shooting Bergman’s film Through a Glass Darkly, which would end up winning an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He was only 31 years old at the time, but his face already expressed the wisdom and kindness of a much older man. Maybe that’s why he looks so young today?”